CUTS AND GRAZES

The human body is amazingly good at dealing with minor cuts, grazes, scratches and abrasions. If the skin has been broken, blood will course out for a few minutes to wash out any possible infection. Then, the blood in the wound will clot, forming a hard, p[protective scab. Any dirt left inside will be dealt with by scavenging white blood cells and the scab will stay in place as a protective shield until the skin underneath has healed. All this means that you don't have to do very much if you get a small cut or graze: simply wash the whole area very thoroughly with clean, running water or with a liquid antiseptic. Then leave your body's own defense mechanisms to deal with the problem.